January 2026 Newsletter

Hello again, friends!

It's been a little while since I last landed in your inbox, and I'm glad to be back. Welcome to January!

This month is full of celebrations, resolutions, goals, and dreams. Too often, the intention is to carry that energy through the rest of the year. In practice, many of us push ourselves too hard and burn out before the month is even over.

This year, I’m trying something a little different. Instead of kicking things off with resolutions, I’m taking the first few weeks to really study what’s already in motion and use that information to inform my decisions. I’ll set my goals toward the end of the month, then reflect on progress as the year unfolds.

This approach has been especially impactful when it comes to my website data — and it can be for yours, too.

A New Series

That focus on observation is what led me to introduce a new, ongoing educational series centered on Understanding Google Analytics.

My goal is to make analytics feel approachable and useful, helping you understand the story your website is already telling.

Over the coming weeks, I’ll break down what different metrics really tell you and how to use that information to make thoughtful decisions without overhauling everything at once.

This series will be published on my social media pages only. Be sure to use the links below to follow Threadlined Presence on your preferred platform.

Worth Noting This Month

Instagram’s New 5-Hashtag Limit

Toward the end of December, Instagram quietly introduced a limit of five hashtags per post. This changes how captions are structured and removes the incentive to stack long strings of loosely related tags.

In practice, relevance matters more than volume. Instead of trying to “cover all bases” with hashtags, focus shifts to choosing a small number that genuinely align with the content and audience. More broadly, this fits into a trend I’ve been seeing across platforms: preference for authentic, intentional content over trendy tactics.

Shifts in Search Visibility & Website Traffic

Many website owners have noticed changes in search behavior over the past month, including steady or increasing impressions with fewer clicks. This isn’t necessarily a sign that something is wrong. Search results are evolving, with more summaries, featured results, and answers appearing directly on the results page.

Visibility and engagement don’t always move in lockstep anymore. Understanding how people encounter your site - what they search, where your pages appear, and what prompts a click - has become just as important as tracking traffic itself. This broader shift is part of why tools like Google Analytics and Google Search Console work best when viewed together, over time, rather than as instant performance snapshots.

Looking Ahead

As we look ahead at 2026, I’ll be sharing one newsletter each month, focused on the biggest updates, reflections, and resources worth bringing to you directly. In between newsletters, I’ll continue sharing more regularly on social media, where I post education content, timely thoughts, and behind-the-scenes moments as they happen.

The Google Analytics series is just the beginning. Once it wraps up, I’ll be building on that foundation and exploring related tools, including how to use Google Search Console to better understand how people are finding your site before they ever click through.

In the next few weeks, keep an eye out! I’ve got a new website launch coming up that I’m super excited for, along with something especially meaningful… but it’s not quite ready to talk more about yet.

I hope this newsletter offered a helpful perspective as we begin the year. Wishing you a very happy New Year and a steady start to 2026.

If you have a few extra moments, you’ll find this month’s featured blog below — and if you know someone who might find this useful, feel free to pass it along.

Thanks for being here.

Bernice

This Month's Featured Blog

Planning content in the new year doesn’t have to feel so overwhelming. Explore a grounded, flexible approach that supports your pace and prevents burnout.